Episode X: The Final Hope
by LordYoda
Summary: Rey, the final hope the galaxy had, has fallen into the grasps of the dark side. Ben Amidala Solo Skywalker is determined to save the woman he loves. As the last Jedi, he cannot face all the Sith alone. Who can he trust? And who will help him? Slight change in the ending of TROS before a new story happens.
1. Chapter 1

Chp.1

"Do it," the Emperor hissed as Rey held the lightsaber. Ben lay on the ground outside, surrounded by the Knights of Ren. Exhausted and close to death, he concentrated all of his force essence back into his body, breaking his attempts to reach Rey's mind. Rey knew that this was her destiny – she had seen it so many times in her visions. She stood next to the throne, wearing a dark robe and a hinged saber clipped to her belt. Her cheeks were hollow and her eyes were black pits. Rey's staff hung over her shoulder as she turned to look at the throne, seeing Kylo Ren sitting in it with a sinister look on his face.

_I'm sorry_, Rey projected to the galaxy, hoping Ben would hear her. _Avenge me, Ben._

Rey raised the lightsaber as Palpatine closed his eyes. With a grunt she brought it down upon her grandfather. The cut that Rey had made began to spill a black mist. It reached out towards Rey as she stepped away slowly, looking in horror as it enveloped her. Darth Sidious disappeared as the rest of his body joined the dark fog that began to absorb into Rey's body.

She fell to her knees and dropped the saber, watching as her clothes began to morph into a long, black robe. Suddenly, her mind began to fill with memories and power. Her eyes rolled up until only the whites of her eyes showed as she heard her grandfather's cackles echo in her mind. The Sith loyalists bowed down as Rey stood up slowly, her eyes glowing yellow.

Outside the chamber, Ben grunted as he shot the last knight. He heard three words repeating over and over in his head like a broken record. _Avenge me, Ben. Avenge me. _His clothes were tattered and his face was covered in cuts and bruises. His leg was broken. Ben dragged himself into the chamber, crawling towards the stone throne. As he neared it, he saw a blue lightsaber flash in front of his face as he looked up slowly. Rey was looking down at him, her eyes burning like Anakin's once had.

"Rey," Ben whispered, backing away as she advanced with the saber held to his throat.

"You are either with me or you die," she said. Her voice was layered with every single Sith that had once lived. Darth Vader's voice came through along with Sidious, Snoke and many others Ben didn't recognise.

"Rey," Ben said again, his eyes brimming with tears. As he said her name, he said it again through their force dyad. For a moment, Rey faltered and her eyes flashed back to their brown. With a small snarl, her eyes blazed again.

"Until you decide, you will be held here," Rey said, beckoning over the Emperor's guards. Ben reached out his hand to summon Leia's saber before Rey took the hilt of Luke's saber and knocked him out.

Poe shot down the cannon on another ship as he whooped. He saw destroyers scattered on the ground, fires still going on some sections. The Final Order's fleet had been destroyed.

"All right, we're all clear," Poe grinned through the intercom. One by one, ships began to turn around with the Falcon and Poe in front.

"Let's go home," Lando said as Chewie roared in agreement. He pulled the hyperdrive switch and shot off through the stars.

Ben opened his eyes as he looked around the room. He was hovered in the air with his arms bound above him. He tried to shift his body but found himself immobilised. A guard clothed in red armour opened the door as the Empress stepped in. Her hair was in a single tight bun and a hinged saber was clipped to her belt. With a wave of her hand, Ben fell to the floor, his arms still handcuffed. A guard shoved him up and kept a tight grip on Ben's arm, which he leaned on for support rather than fought against.

"The fleet," Ben whispered, his voice cracked and dry.

"They have all been destroyed but this one which was still underground. The Resistance are back at their base," she said. They walked into a room which had a long, black table in the centre of the room. Officers sat along the lengths, and they stood and saluted as she walked in. Ben gulped as he recognised it. He had once stood in a replica of the room on the old destroyer when he was Supreme Leader.

"Release him," the Empress ordered. A guard took off the handcuffs and Ben rubbed his bruised wrists. "Officers, leave us. We will discuss matters after I am done."

The black-clothed commanders left the room with the guards following behind them. The Empress pushed Ben's body into a seat and he landed hard, with his back hitting the chair. Ben felt his leg and his face. He no longer felt the cuts and the bone protruding from his skin.

"Rey," Ben said as he felt his leg.

"Rey is dead. I have been given the name Darth Sethi by my ancestors," she snapped back.

"Who are you," she said, sitting in the chair next to him. Her cheeks, Ben noticed, were dark and almost looked collapsed. Ben knew what she meant. Was he Ben Amidala Solo Skywalker, son of Leia and Han? Or was he Kylo Ren, the merciless Sith Lord?

Ben remained silent. He didn't know. He had felt the pull to the light when his memory of Han came to him on the remains of the old Death Star. He had thrown his saber and left all that remained of Kylo Ren in the ocean. But he still knew that he was never truly a Solo. He flicked in and out of remorse for killing his father all the time. When he came to Rey on Exogul, he was Ben. But who was he now?

Rey looked at him. Her eyes were no longer yellow, but they were still darker than they had been before.

"Very well then," she said. "One more chance. You will come with me to the Resistance Base. If you join me then, you will pledge yourself as Kylo Ren. If not, then you will meet your fate as the last Jedi."


	2. Chapter 2

Darth Sethi concealed her new saber between her robes and readied the X-Wing for a flight back to the Resistance base. She felt a sudden tug in her mind as the familiarity of Luke's ship came back to her. Her eyes became the light brown they once were for a moment. She looked outside the open cockpit to see Anakin looking at her sternly.

"Rey," he said.

Rey met Anakin's eyes.

"What do you want," she snapped back.

"Don't make the same mistake I did," Anakin pleaded. "You know who you are."

"I am a Palpatine. I can never be like you. You are a Skywalker, Anakin. You weren't born into the dark like me," she said. Her eyes flashed back to the black and she closed the cockpit, firing the engines before setting off, not looking back as Anakin shook his head and faded away. A TIE-fighter followed the X-Wing. Ben sat in it as the ship took off and the autopilot kicked in. Still the mechanic, Rey, or should Ben say Sethi, had overridden the manual control, meaning Ben had no shot of escape.

Ajan Kloss came into view soon after. Sethi landed her ship amongst the bush a short distance away from the headquarters. She stepped out of the X-Wing, wearing the same clothes she had worn before – the characteristic white robes. They were not stained or torn anymore, since she had ordered them to be made shortly before their departure. Luke and Leia's saber were clipped to the belt. Ben stepped out, wearing replica clothes of what he had worn as Kylo Ren. His hands were in cuffs as Sethi led him towards the base.

Poe and Finn came running towards Sethi, pulling her into a tight embrace. They caught sight of Ben and held out their blasters, pointing it to his chest. The Empress stopped them and Poe slowly lowered the gun, placing it back into its holster.

"Don't worry about him," she said. Ben was pulled along as the four of them made their way to the quiet room that Leia had once lived in. Some pilots who caught sight of Ben gave rude gestures and spat at him. Ben jerked and froze when he saw the blanket which had once covered his mother's body. It had been left untouched since Leia had become one with the force, and a vague outline of her body was still there.

"Rey, what happened?" Finn asked, touching her sallow cheeks. She batted his hand away, causing Finn to back up a little.

"Sorry, just," Sethi looked at the pair and let out a deep sigh.

_Sly snake_, Ben thought. He quickly changed his mind. _No, this is not Rey. Palpatine did this._

"What happened on Exogul," Poe asked, looking at Ben suspiciously.

"I faced Palpatine. He tried to kill me but I got to him first. Kylo Ren tried to help him," Sethi said, looking down at her feet.

Ben kept a straight face and did his best not to give her a mental slap. He had a dyad with Rey. She was still alive. Ben could sense her. He waited as Sethi finished her tale. Finn and Poe looked at Ben who was staring at the floor.

"What about him?" Poe pointed, glaring at Ben.

"Put him in a cell," Finn said.

Ben tried not to push Finn and Poe back with the force as he stood up. He could feel Sethi's eyes on him and his mind, calculating his next move. Ben was not concerned about the fact he was being put in prison. He was more concerned about what the new Empress was going to do next.


	3. Chapter 3

Poe elbowed Ben hard as he was shoved out the door towards the makeshift cells. Finn dragged Ben along to the cell and shoved him inside. Ben, too exhausted anyway, sat on the hard seat.

"I'll lock the cell. You two go to the mess hall, I'll meet you there," Sethi said. Poe and Finn nodded and turned around, walking down the hill. She slipped inside the cell and loosened the cuffs. Ben looked at her in surprise and studied her face. It was still dark and clouded. Sethi reached behind her back and brought out a saber from a pouch on her belt. It was designed exactly like Kylo Ren's. Ben took it from her and ignited it. The crystal was stable and the red blade lit up the dark cell.

Ben shook his head and sheathed it, trying to hand it back to Sethi. Instead, she took it and placed it on the bench next to Ben's left hand. Digging into a satchel that hung over her shoulder, she took out a helmet. It resembled a cross between Kylo Ren's and Darth Vader's. A small longing tugged at the side of Ben's mind. He had once looked up to Darth Vader, vowing he would finish what he started.

"The conflict inside you – let go of it. You cannot escape your fate. Take the saber and go to the TIE fighter. Fly back to base. The Knights of Ren await your return, Darth Ren," she said. Ben didn't look up as Sethi walked out of the cell and locked the door behind her.

He slid his wrists out of the cuffs and picked up the helmet, studying it carefully. He moved to place it on his head before a blue light in front of him distracted his thoughts.

"Ben."

Ben looked in front of him, placing the helmet on the seat next to him before turning his attention to his mother.

"You know better than this."

Ben swallowed a lump in his throat as Leia sat next to Ben on the side that wasn't piled with a lightsaber and a helmet.

"Mother," he whispered. He sent a flood of emotions and thoughts towards her, unable to open his mouth to speak. Leia nodded sympathetically, patting Ben on the shoulder.

"Remember, you do not have to do this alone," Leia said, a smile in her voice. "I will talk to someone. Expect a visitor within the next hour."

With this cryptic message, Leia disappeared, leaving Ben fingers gently touching the shoulder his mother's hand had been on.

Poe did his best not to walk to Kylo's cell and throw his plate of cake at Ren's face. First of all, there was no point. And it would be a waste of good cake. All he was concerned about now was that Rey was alive.

Finn studied Rey's face. There was a shadow over her face he had no seen before.

_Everyone keeps telling me that they know who I am. I'm afraid no one does. _Rey's words echoed in his head. She was right. Before they had parted at the ruins of the Death Star, Rey had pushed him back with such force and anger. Now when he looked at her face, she was a stranger. No longer the scavenger from Jakku.


	4. Chapter 4

Finn excused himself and walked alone to the quiet outdoors. It was dark and embers from a campfire were crackling near the log he was standing next too. Finn suddenly saw a blue glow emit behind him and he spun around. His mouth dropped open as Leia gave a small smile.

"Close your mouth," she said, tutting. Finn did and looked at her in wonder.

"Sit with me, Finn," she said, easing herself onto the log. Finn dropped beside her.

"General," he said, studying Leia's figure. She was a ghostly blue and almost looked transparent, but her face was clear.

"I know. And you are correct," Leia waved her hand to stop Finn from speaking. "You are force-sensitive."

Finn looked at the ash on the campfire and sighed. He should have told Rey before they were sinking in the sand. He might have been able to help her, fight beside her.

"General, what happened to Rey," Finn said, looking at the bright entrance of the mess hall.

"She is clouded, Finn. The darkness surrounds her, it's tearing her apart. But Ben," Leia sighed and shook her head.

Finn looked at the general with a mix of emotions. He had known that Ben was Kylo Ren, or as Rey had corrected him, the man who was turned into Kylo Ren. It seemed strange that the leader of the Resistance had a son who was the leader of the Empire. He decided not to question it – Leia seemed too pained about the subject.

"Kylo Ren is dead, Finn. Ben Solo lives. He is currently sitting in the holding cell, a lightsaber by his side and his cuffs undone. Rey did this – she…has turned to the dark side."

Finn stood up and faced Leia who looked at him.

"No," he said firmly. "Rey would never do that."

"She is the Empress, Finn. All the Sith live in her now. After she killed Palpatine, the generations of the dark side before him flowed into her. She is his granddaughter." Leia stood and faced Finn, placing her hand on his shoulder.

"Talk to Ben. There is a way to save her, Finn." Leia looked down and faded away, leaving Finn staring at the grass where she had stood.


	5. Chapter 5

**Sorry I haven't published in a bit! If you haven't noticed, I try publish every weekend, but my schedule sometimes gets in the way. You get a longer chapter as payment.**

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"Let me talk to him," Finn said to the guard standing outside the cell. The man nodded and opened the door, walking away to leave them alone.

Finn sat next to Ben and leaning close to him. Ben's cuffs were beside him, along with a lightsaber.

"Finn, you have to help me," Ben pleaded. His voice was helpless and full of a fear Finn had never seen in him. "Did Leia talk to you?" Finn nodded.

"Is it true? She's Palpatine's granddaughter? That's why she could blow up that transport ship with her hand, right?" Ben nodded.

"Palpatine made Rey kill him, but what that does is transfer all the Sith that ever lived from Palpatine to Rey. This means Rey's mind is clouded and full of evil. She carries a new saber now, and I don't like it. She thinks her name is Darth Sethi."

"Then why is she here?" Finn asked.

"She is trying to sway me back to the dark side. She said that I would take this saber and join her. She is more powerful than ever. I can't stop her alone. On top of all that, she has control of the entire Final Order now. Those ships you destroyed – that isn't all."

Finn's eyes widened. "You're telling me there is more?" Ben nodded.

"On another planet, Palpatine devised something else. Those ships on Exogul were just the beginning. And Rey, she…she is Empress now. Empress Palpatine." Ben scoffed and shrugged. A tear dropped out of his eye.

"Finn, I…I love her. She was the only person who believed in Ben and she saved me. But now, I have to save her."

Finn watched as Ben wiped the tears out of his eyes and sat up.

"Then we need to act. I can talk to Poe and we can find this thing Palpatine was building," Finn said, standing up. A sudden shout and a scream rang out from the mess hall.

"This can't be good," Ben said. He stood, grabbing the lightsaber on the chair next to him. Ben ignited it, the red glow making Finn flinch. Without hesitation, he slashed the helmet on the chair, splitting it into two.

"That is the end of Kylo Ren," he breathed heavily.

Together, they rushed out of the cell as they heard blaster fire echo around the room. There were flashes of red reflected on the metal as Ben saw Sethi twirl her double-bladed saber. All of her years of training with her staff and every single bit of information from the Sith flowed into her movements. She deflected bolts and knocked people unconscious with the force.

Finn looked in horror and held his head in his hands as pilots and resistance fighters were knocked to the ground around them. Ben threw the saber in his hands at Sethi, summoning the two sabers from her belt as she turned around. Her eyes were yellow and she hissed, showing sharp teeth which morphed back into her normal set. Finn looked in digust at this. Ben ignited his mother and his grandfather's sabers.

"Rey, stop," Ben pleaded. Sethi stopped the crossguard saber as it hurtled towards her, and sheathed it with the force, clipping it to her belt. She lifted her hand, bolts of lightning shooting out of it. Ben blocked it with his saber and held his ground. He was still weak, having had no food except water that was force-fed to him while he slept. Finn grabbed the saber which was held loosely in Ben's left hand and took the brunt of the force, grunting and gritting his teeth.

Sethi broke off and snarled. She ran towards them as Ben and Finn hurried off. Chewie, Lando and some other Resistance fighters were inside the Falcon which was just beginning to take off. Ben and Finn jumped as the landing ramp began to raise and ship rose into the sky. Both of them took a final look at the base which was in flames. Sethi, who still held her lightsaber, was looking at them with a murderous look in her eyes.

Finn walked into the main room where some people were on the floor crying with others comforting them. Some looked up at the sight of Ben and everyone froze. One pilot picked up her blaster and fired it. Ben just managed to hold up his hand to stop the bolt, sending it into an empty storage box which cracked behind him. Chewie roared and ran towards him, enveloping him in a huge, furry hug.

"I missed you too old pal," Ben chuckled smiling at the Wookie. "Look, about dad-"

Chewie broke him off. _You're Ben Solo_, he growled. _Kylo Ren killed Han Solo._

"This is Ben Solo, the son of the late General Leia. And don't worry, he won't hurt anyone," Finn said. The resistance fighters looked away and muttered to each other, casting glances at him.

"I don't think you want to stay in those clothes," Finn said. He began to lead Ben through the ship, but Ben didn't need Finn's directions. He hurried into the small room which had once been his father's. It was still decorated with tokens of some heists and battles. Ben opened a closet and took out some long pants and a white t-shirt. He stopped for a moment as he looked at Han's old clothes.

"You know this ship?" Finn asked.

"I used to fly it as a kid. Han never liked my flying, but Chewie did," Ben said, pulling off his thick jacket and slipping on the loose white shirt. Finn stood outside the door as Ben changed before he came out, dressed almost exactly as Han.

"Like father like son," Finn smirked as they headed to the cockpit. Lando was piloting while Chewie sat beside him, flicking some switches.

"Hey kid," Lando said, smiling.

"Lando," Ben grinned, pulling him into a hug.

"Where's Poe," Finn asked, sitting in the seat behind Chewie. No one spoke and Chewie gave a sad little moan.

"I don't think he made it," Lando finally said. Finn sighed and ran his fingers through his short hair.

"He isn't dead," Ben finally said, feeling through the force. Finn looked at him with a sideways glance. "No one is. They're just unconscious."

"Take a while to get to our destination so hang tight. You may want to talk to the group back there," Lando gestured to the main room. Finn nodded and headed out to the remaining fighters.


	6. Chapter 6

**I haven't been active because COVID-19 has thrown me off SO MUCH! So you get three chapters of content. Enjoy and stay safe! I will be publishing my other story, New Beginnings, as soon as I can.**

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"Empress, we have tracked the remaining rebels on the planet and have rounded them up," General Pryde said. A few resistance fighters and Poe were dragged in front of her. Poe had a cut on his mouth and dried blood ran in a line towards his chin.

"Take the rest away but leave this one here," Sethi said, gesturing to Poe. "Treat them well, General."

"As you wish, my lady," the general bowed. The stormtroopers pushed the other resistance member back along the corridor. Poe looked at the Empress with a mix of emotions.

"Rey," Poe whispered.

"They won't die, Poe. And neither will you," she said, sitting down. "I have control of the Empire now. I don't want there to be any more war. Join me and I can help you."

"What happened to you," Poe whispered, looking at the sickly, sinister complexion of her face.

"I have been given greater power than you could ever imagine, Poe. I can use it to bring peace to the empire. Join me."

Poe shook his head. "Power is not the answer. Hope prevails. Hope is what keeps people alive when soldiers come to drag their loved ones away. Hope is what brought millions of people to Exogul. The First Order wins by making you think you're alone." Zorii's words echoed in his mind. He hoped she was alright, that she had escaped.

"The Final Order will not fall," Sethi snarled, making Poe shiver a little. "The Resistance will not be needed anymore. I will bring peace and freedom."

"Freedom? So this is your idea of freedom. Intimidation, separating families, killing people? Freedom is the ability to think, act and speak on your own. The Empire never delivered this, and it never will."

The Empress looked at Poe before motioning for the guard standing at the door to take him away.

The Falcon landed on Naboo in the outskirts of the planet. It was a forest and the Falcon was well concealed. There was a small stone door concealed within a tall mountain. Lando twisted some stone locks and it slid open, the sound of stone upon stone echoing in the noisy forest.

"This was built during the Clone Wars as a military hide out," Lando explained. "We can stay here until we figure something out."

The Resistance fighters walked inside and were led on a short tour by Lando. They settled down on bunks and unpacked the little gear they had managed to grab. Ben and Finn took a bunk together, with Ben taking the top.

Lando brought out some rations from the Falcon and they shared it around as Ben and Finn talked to each other.

"There is something on a planet that is worse than the fleet on Exogul. Rey is a Sith and now she has practically unlimited power. What now," Finn said, throwing his arms in the air in frustration.

"We can find the planet. We can save Rey as well," Ben said.

"Incoming transmission," Rose called, carrying a hologram device in her palm. She hooked it up to the control table in the centre of the room and it flicked to life. A person wearing a stormtrooper outfit appeared. She quickly took off her helmet and looked around cautiously.

"If you can hear me, I am on a ship which is part of the Final Order's fleet. The Empress, or should I say Rey, has taken control. I overheard something about Korriban and how there was something big there. I had to go before they talked about some huge project, but they mentioned a slave camp. I think that's where we're headed. Poe and the rest of the resistance are here. Finn, if you're there, I just want you to know that I am grateful that I knew you. Thank you for making me feel human. Don't worry about me – I will contact you when I get out of here. And may the Force be wi-." The woman suddenly jerked her head to the right and pulled her helmet on before cutting the message.

Finn looked to the ground as the remaining fighters began to mutter to each other.

"Jannah," Finn whispered. "Hang in there."


	7. Chapter 7

Poe sat in the cell with the other resistance fighters as they looked at each other hopelessly. If Rey had turned, then what hope did they have left? The small group had first been housed in decent quarters under, Poe noticed, extremely high security. Then, Jannah disappeared in the middle of the night and they had been moved to a cold, hard cell. Poe could only pray Jannah knew what she was doing.

Jannah turned to see a group of officers pass by with a group of troopers behind them. She stood at attention on the side of the walkway, using her body to conceal the tracking device on the floor. They passed her without much regard and Jannah gave a silent thanks. She turned around and opened the grate, turning on the tracking beacon before throwing it deep inside. These grates, she knew, were for ventilation and no one checked them on the ship she had been on. Her time as a stormtrooper was about to pay off.

Jannah walked to the hangar where groups of troopers were marching. She tagged behind a group of troopers as she checked the number of ships. Most were troop carriers, more than enough to carry the group. She broke off and scanned the flight roster on the wall. A troop carrier was scheduled to be ready to leave in 20 minutes. Tight, but manageable.

There were a few supply boxes near the carrier filled with food and guns. Perfect. Jannah pushed them into the carrier and began to march towards the cells with a group of amateur troopers. She knew they were new because they were shorter, looked around too much and their uniforms were shiny. These people were stationed as prisoner guards for a few months before a new group arrived. They were also the most likely group to be distracted easily.

Jannah passed cells with various prisoners inside, but she did not turn to look. Each trooper took their place in front of a cell, changing spots with the person that had once been there wordlessly. Jannah swapped with a soldier in front of the cell Poe and the rest of the fighters were. Not a single one looked up except Poe. Jannah put her hands behind her back and took out a resistance ring which Poe caught sight of discreetly. He gave a tiny nod and waited a little.

_Shinies_, Jannah thought. She made her index finger and thumb open and close, miming speaking. Poe began to talk loudly, kicking his feet on the metal floor, looking at his fellow soldiers pointedly. He began insulting the storm troopers which made Jannah smile below her mask. The trooper standing next to her looked at the cell and banged his gun against the door. They kept talking, the fourteen people in the cell continuing their chat. Jannah took the trooper's ID pass from his pocket when he banged his blaster again before turning to the group.

"Quiet you!" he shouted. Poe gave a small motion for them to quiet down as Jannah nodded and the trooper walked back to his post. Jannah had what she needed. As a droid wheeled past, she kicked underneath it's shell, causing it to spurt oil and go up and down the hallway, squealing and beeping. The troopers, disgusted, backed away to the ends of the hallway, their vision temporarily clouded with oil on their visors. The security cameras were covered as well and retracted for a moment to clean up.

In the split second, Jannah scanned the card on the cell door and the soldiers rushed out, grabbing discarded blasters on the floor, shooting the stormtroopers and cameras. Jannah led them to the hangar where the troopers suddenly turned and opened fire as the resistance fighters took cover behind some boxes.

"About time!" Poe shouted, rolling from his hiding position and taking out some troopers.

Jannah stood and shot her blaster as she ran towards the carrier she had loaded earlier. The other fighters followed her as she fired the engines and activated the shields. Red blaster fire peppered the ship as she pushed the engines and took off. Poe looked back at the destroyer they had just escaped from and saw Rey holding her double-bladed saber, her dark hood up and her teeth gritted in frustration.

She held her hand out and the ship faltered, struggling to go forwards. Jannah jumped into the gunner position and fired at the Empress. All the bolts bounced off her saber as the ship's engines flickered back to life. Before Poe could have a chance to move the ship, bolts of electricity enveloped it, causing sparks to fly out and the ship's engines to completely detach.

Sethi's eyes lit up in malice as Poe looked at the figure of Rey from a distance, her fingers shooting energy. The ship began falling through space as TIE fighters cabled the troop carrier and brought it back to the ship. The Resistance fighters walked out with their hands in the air as troopers cuffed them. Jannah and Poe were the last to come out as the empress walked to meet them.

"Rebel scum," she snarled in Snoke's voice, taking the two by surprise.

"Put these two in interrogation room 3," she ordered.


	8. Chapter 8

Ben sat on a rock in the forest alone and concentrated. He reached out to Rey through their force dyad and found her, far away. Ben found a small part of her, a trace of Rey hidden behind the identity of Darth Sethi. The Empress, on her way to the interrogation room, froze and turned to meet Ben's eyes.

"Looks like you learnt about Korriban," she smirked. "You can't stop us now."

"Maybe not. What have you done with them," Ben snapped back. Sethi gave a sinister laugh.

"I offered them a place in all this. They refused. I took control to try to help you, but you refused. Let's say that the troublemakers like you will be purged," she snarled.

Ben snapped out of the connection. He had to warn the others. But he wasn't ready to give up on Rey yet.

Rey stood in front of Poe who was shackled to a chair. Poe rolled his eyes at his bonds. He had been trapped in an identical chair when he was interrogated by Kylo Ren.

"I offered you my help. You refused." The Empress stepped towards him slowly, leaning her face close to his. "In that case, there is no need for you anymore."

Poe smirked. "Fine. But kill me, and the resistance still lives."

"No. We have created something. And you will be our first test subject." Poe's eyes widened as Rey motioned for him to be dragged away. Rey moved in front of Jannah who watched Poe leave in worry.

"You," Rey snapped. She reached out her hand to Jannah's forehead. There was no stopping Rey as she dug through Jannah's mind.

"TZ-1719," Rey said, pushing deeper as Jannah groaned. "And you sent the message to the Resistance. Yes, and you put a tracking device in this ship. And the Resistance, you sent a message to them. Foolish. We can track your signal to their location." Rey broke off and Jannah slumped in the chair.

"Keep her in the holding cell for delivery to camp. Remove the tracking device from the ventilation shaft. Prepare the fleet to go to Korriban. Our plan will be shifted faster now." The guards and officers saluted as Jannah's limp body was dragged away.

Ben flinched as he felt Jannah and Poe's pain. He reached out again to Rey.

"They will not die," Sethi said, not even turning around as Ben saw her.

"What have you done with them," Ben asked again, his hands balling into fists. The Empress laughed.

"Still the angry child," She smirked, turning around. "You know that you cannot escape your fate." She suddenly jumped forwards and grabbed Ben's fist. Ben found himself standing on a smooth, black tiled floor. A throne was in front of him. It had a large, circle back and a seat with two large armrests. Rey was standing beside it, wearing her dark robes with her staff over her shoulder and the hinged saber on her belt. But what threw Ben off was who was sitting on the throne. He looked at his own face twisted into a sinister look as he leaned on the armrest, his eyes cold, his clothes dark and his old saber back on his belt.

Ben jerked out of it and found himself standing alone, outside the rebel base in the cold air. He sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. He had seen these visions himself, only Rey had amplified them, almost swallowing him before Ben stopped himself.

"Ben."

He turned around to see Anakin smiling at him.

"I'm not ready, grandfather," he whispered. "I am still tormented by the dark."

"No one is ever ready," Anakin replied. "To think you are ready is vanity. The rebellion survives because of hope, Ben. Not because of a well-planned attack. Learn to let go of the past. The dark will always be there. You just need to seek the light."

"Stay with me," Ben said, tears brimming in his eyes.

"Always," he whispered before fading into the night.


End file.
